The Kadar tribe takes charge against alien species

 

MINI MURINGATHERI, 

THRISSUR, october 26, 2024

In a first, the Kadar tribe of Vazhachal in Thrissur, has taken on active restoration of natural forests degraded by invasive alien species.

This collaborative effort involving the Local Self-Governments department, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Scheduled Tribes Development department, WWF-India, and Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) marks a significant step towards freeing natural forests from degrading exotic species.

Supported by the WWF-India, the KFRI had undertaken the mapping of invasive plants in the Vazhachal and Parambikulam forest divisions and 29 and 31 such species had been recorded in these divisions, says T.V Sajeev, chief scientist, KFRI.

“By involving tribal community members in a participatory mapping process, we identified the most degraded areas for restoration,” he says. The spread of invasive plants has severely limited forage space for wildlife, leading to increased human-wildlife conflicts. Additionally, these invaders have diminished the availability of non-timber forest products, threatening the livelihoods of the indigenous communities.

With technical support from the KFRI, the tribal community has started the removal of invasive species such as Lantana camara, Chromolaena odorata, Mimosa diplotricha, and Mikania micrantha.

Follow up

The work will be followed up by planting of species such as Myristica beddomei, Canarium strictum, Garcinia gummi-gutta, Hydnocarpus pentandrus, Curcuma neilgherrensis, Acacia sinuate, Phyllanthus emblica, Entada rheedii, Desmodium gangeticum, Pseudarthria viscida and Sapindus trifoliate, all of which yield forest products usually collected by the community. Over the years, these plants had been displaced by the aggressive invasion of alien plants.

“This initiative not only supports the environment but also enhances the livelihoods of local tribal communities by increasing labour opportunities through the MGNREGA,” says K. Rijesh, ward member, Athirappilly grama panchayat.

The pilot project is being held at Pothupara, a newly established tribal hamlet under the Vazhachal division after a landslip displaced the people from Anakkayam in 2018. This community received Community Forest Resource (CFR) rights under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) in 2014, along with eight other tribal settlements, creating the first CFR area of its kind in Kerala, covering 400 sq km. The nine tribal gram sabhas have already approved their conservation and management plan, which incorporates this vital restoration work.